Paper Knives
by vvoidknight
Summary: Roxy and Dirk are two teens that have been trying to make the best of a tough situation. When a kind social worker discovers some relatives willing to take them in, Roxy and Dirk agree to try and make it work.
1. Chapter 1

"Doctor Lalonde?"

The soft voice drew Ruth Lalonde's attention from her work and she hummed in response. After placing her pen down and hazarding a glance at the clock (noting that it was later than she thought – she would likely be staying up through the night again), she spun her chair around to face her assistant.

The younger woman was in the doorway, looking a bit tired. There weren't bags under her eyes yet but it was clear she was heading down that awful, sleepless path.

"I know that you said you didn't want any interruptions, but it's your sister," Calliope said apologetically. Ruth noticed the cell phone in her hand. From the cute cat charm that hung from it, she could identify it as her own, given to Calliope to limit distractions.

"Rosie or Rosa?" she asked, pursing her lips. She really didn't need distractions right now. She was giving a guest lecture tomorrow morning and after 13 separate revisions, she was still not entirely satisfied with her speech.

"Rosa," Callie answered and Ruth briefly envied her for her eternally cheery disposition. "She said that something urgent has come up. Something to do with your family."

"Rose or Dave?" the doctor asked even as she reached for the phone. It was always one of the youngest twins. "Did she say?"

"Sorry, no," Callie handed over the phone and retreated to the doorway, but didn't leave yet. She smiled sweetly at Ruth, who had to respond with a smile just as wide. "If you don't mind, I'm going to step out for a quick moment to pick up some refreshments. Would you like anything?"

Ruth took a moment to ponder the question. From the state of Calliope's drooping eyelids, coffee was an unspoken necessity. They both skipped dinner, but Ruth didn't feel terribly hungry.

"A sandwich," she decided. "And see if you can find someone to send over a bottle of wine."

"I'll see what I can do," the assistant said, though they both knew she wouldn't indulge Ruth in her vices. With a final cheery smile, she left the borrowed office. Ruth took a moment to mentally prepare herself before she brought the phone to her ear. Rosa could be a bit… much.

"Hello, Rosa," she said with as much warmth as she could. Sometimes her younger sister doubted her sincerity and Ruth was trying very hard to overcome that. It never occured to her that by overemphasizing her emotions she also seemed insincere.

"Good evening," Rosa said, voice as calm and collected as ever. "I apologize for interrupting you. I'm sure you're still obsessively working on your speech for tomorrow, as you always do."

Ruth eyed the papers liberally marred by red ink on her desk and said, "No, not at all."

The silence on the other end told her that the lie was not only obvious but also pitiful. She cleared her throat.

"Well, I must admit I didn't call to discuss your work ethic," the younger sister confessed. Ruth rolled her eyes but didn't bother responding to that. She picked up her pen and went back to scanning the paragraph she'd been editing when she was interrupted.

"Ruth… I received a troubling call earlier today," she said slowly. "I doubted the veracity at first but after doing some research of my own, I was forced to conclude that I was being told the truth."

"Tell me," Ruth urged, dropping her pen. She could detect an almost imperceptible tremor in her sister's usually calm voice. It was alarming to say the least.

"I received a call from a social worker," Rosa began. "At first, I thought that perhaps it had something to do with Rose and Dave. We haven't had any custody issues lately, but these sort of things occur when you least expect it."

"Aint that the truth," she snorted.

"But the woman, Ms. Pentri, works in Pennsylvania. She claimed to have two children in her custody that were related to us," she continued, not dignifying the outburst with a reaction. "There are plenty of Lalondes, however. I was unconvinced that they were that closely related to us. Still, her story seemed to hold some element of truth."

"And the verdict?" Ruth asked, rolling her pen between her fingers while spinning slowly in her office chair.

"Ms. Pentri told me that one of them was a Lalonde and the other was a Strider," she revealed, sounding downright troubled. Ruth froze, but the chairs momentum kept her slowly revolving.

"They're his children too, then?" she questioned. Her voice was a hell of a lot calmer than she was feeling. She gave herself a mental pat on the back with the part of her brain that hadn't frozen. Her mind was buzzing over the existence of two more half-siblings because holy hell, you'd think the Lalonde women would get the fucking memo and steer clear of the man.

She took a breath and tried to maintain her outward calm.

"They are. One of mother's cousins corroborated the story," Rosa confirmed. Ruth's breath left her in a drawn out sigh.

"And she gave them up? I told everyone in that part of the family that I'd take in any of our siblings," Ruth nearly growled. They had to know she was serious. She lived up to her word when Rose and Dave were born.

"You did," Rosa agreed evenly. "Thirteen years ago."

Ruth caught on immediately, "They're older than Rosie and Dave?"

"They are," she said quietly. "Fourteen. They're twins."

"Of course they are," Ruth moaned. It seemed twins were just the Lalonde way. She rubbed her temple with her free hand as her mind raced. The children's age meant that they had to have been conceived before her mother's death. A fresh hatred flared inside her for the man who contributed 50% of her genetic material. He hadn't even waited for his wife to die before moving on to fucking her family. Ruth let out a frustrated hiss.

"They weren't kept together in the foster system, but neither were adopted," Rosa continued, powering through the uncomfortable silence that followed. It was how she dealt with stress best. "But apparently they found one another later and were completely unaware that they were siblings."

"There's that at least," Ruth muttered. It was a small high point in what was no doubt a life of lows. She didn't know much about the foster system except that it wasn't kind to the children forced into it. After her mother died, she'd fought long and hard to keep her younger siblings from that fate.

Rosa was silent and an uneasiness settled over Ruth. She had the sneaking suspicion that there was more to the story and an even sneakier suspicion she would like none of it.

"Before you tell me anything else, I need you to tell me that the kids are okay and that we're going to get custody," Ruth demanded.

"Well, there's no doubt in my mind that we can take them in," Rosa said. "I doubt they would have contacted me if they didn't want to find them a home."

"Good," Ruth said viciously, shoving her red pen back into the cup of writing utensils with unusual force. "That's a load off of my worried mind."

"They're in Pennsylvania," Rosa informed her. "I plan on driving down tomorrow after Rose goes to school. I'll discuss adoption with the social worker then."

"Because no one can say no to your face," Ruth mumbled, but she was genuinely comforted by her sister's assurance. "Okay, lay it on me. All the terrible twists and turns."

"The girl is named Roxy," Rosa dutifully reported. "The social worker said that a concerned party at her school reported that she'd been coming to school with bruises and Ms. Pentri conducted a home check."

"Oh no," Ruth whispered, picturing a slightly older Rose in such a situation. Her heart felt heavy at the thought.

"The situation was as described. Her foster family was physically abusive and Ms. Pentri was going to remove Roxy from the home, but when she arrived to take her away, no one could find her," Rose continued, pausing for the inevitable outburst from her sister.

"How the hell do you lose a teenager?" the elder sister wanted to know. She was completely ignored and Rosa's narrative moved on.

"They found her later at a convenience store down the road. When Ms. Pentri asked why she didn't report the abuse during any of the previous home checks, Roxy explained that she didn't want to leave behind a friend she'd made. He was a foster child like herself and she refused to leave him on his own."

"That is… unbearably sweet," Ruth commented. "And really damn tragic."

"His name is Dirk, by the way," Rosa added, further tugging at her heartstrings. Abruptly, there was murmuring in the background and some shuffling on the other end. Ruth waited patiently. "Apologies. Rose was requesting pasta for dinner tonight."

"As she does," Ruth tried to smile, well aware of Rose's picky appetite. The mood of the conversation made it difficult.

"I'll start dinner after we're done here," Rosa said. "I'm afraid the story only gets stranger and more worrisome from here."

"Seriously?" she asked, almost queasy at the thought. "Well, let me hear it."

"Well, with Roxy refusing to leave without Dirk, Ms. Pentri had someone pull his file and they found it to be woefully incomplete. The previous social worker died two years prior and it seems that no one took over his case," Rosa explained. "As there was no information on anything but his placement there, she felt worried enough to pay a visit herself. Roxy claimed that Dirk had no foster parents but the social worker didn't believe her until they actually arrived at the house."

"What the hell," Ruth said, voice full of quiet fury. "No seriously, what the hell?"

"Dirk told her that he hadn't seen the couple that took him in since the day they brought him to their home," Rosa clarified. She went quiet for a moment before clearing her throat. "He was eight when he was left in that house."

"And he just… lived alone?" Ruth demanded, voice rising. "Are you telling me that these incompetent assholes let him be dumped in a strange house and he lived there, alone, for _six years_ and no one knew?"

"Yes."

"That's… That is…" For once, words completely failed her. Ruth didn't think there were words in the English language that could even begin to convey how pissed off and worried she was in that moment.

"Needless to say, Ms. Pentri removed him from the home. They're trying to track down the foster parents but I don't think they have had much luck thus far. The bills were all paid on time and without a case worker to check in, no one noticed there was anything wrong," Rosa recounted. Quieter, in a voice that nearly wavered she added, "He reportedly got very good at scavenging for what he needed."

"Oh my god," Ruth moaned, sick to her stomach. Unbidden, her mind summoned up an image of a younger Dave picking through trash cans. "Rosa, I can't. My heart is breaking, holy shit."

"They've both been placed in a temporary home but Ms. Pentri couldn't get them placed together. It isn't for long. Tomorrow I'll see if they'll release them into my care and I'll bring them home," she assured Ruth, who clung to the promise like a lifeline.

"Good," she bit out, but her stomach was still in knots. She looked down at her desk without actually seeing anything. She could hear Calliope speaking to someone in the hallway, back from her refreshment run. "After my lecture tomorrow morning, I'm going to catch the first plane home."

"You don't have to do that," Rosa protested but Ruth couldn't stomach not being present for the adoption of their siblings. Her trip was scheduled to last two weeks, but she figured after giving the lecture she prepared, her financers would be happy enough to let her return home.

"Believe me, I have to," she assured her. "For my own peace of mind. Now go make Rosie something to eat. And call Derek to let him know what's going on. I'll be home in time to pick Rose up from school tomorrow."

"Well at least you can sleep on the plane," the younger sister responded dryly. Her gratitude went without saying.

"You know me so well," Ruth teased. "Thank you, Rosa. Have a good night."

"And you as well," Rosa reciprocated as warmly as she ever did. Ruth was smiling slightly as she hung up and placed the phone down but the smile fell quick enough.

She wasn't quite sure how to switch from family woes to research, so she pushed away from the desk. Calliope poked her head in, smiling cheerfully.

"All done, Doctor?"

"Yeah," she affirmed, slouching in the chair as all of her energy seemed to leave at once. She tried to smile at her assistant because the poor girl didn't need to deal with Ruth in her current mood. Something betrayed her melancholy, however, and Calliope entered the room fully. Her face fell into an expression of concern.

"Is everything all right?" she asked as she set down a paper bag on the other desk. Ruth stared at it, focusing on the logo printed in dark red ink. The urge to spill her guts was strong but she had to focus and power through if she wanted to have everything in order before she left. She ached for a glass of wine but it seemed she would go without.

"It will be," Ruth said with as much conviction as she could muster. She pulled herself up from her slump and nodded decisively. "I'm afraid I'll be working through the night tonight. Something has come up and I'm needed home as soon as I can get away."


	2. Chapter 2

**\- cerebralAbstraction [CA] began pestering terminalAggressor [TA] at 20:17 -**

 **CA: Good evening, brother.**

 **TA: hey**

 **TA: gimme a sec**

 **CA: Take your time. I would hate to inconvenience you.**

 **TA: alright i'm back**

 **CA: In record time might I add.**

 **TA: hell yeah you can take note of my physical prowess**

 **TA: dane's trying to make dave wear one of his shitty ball caps**

 **CA: A worthwhile endeavor that clearly required your mediation. The burning question is whether or not he was successful.**

 **TA: yeah**

 **TA: the runt tried to hide behind me**

 **TA: as if that ever worked for him**

 **CA: As always, your demonstrable love for your brothers shine through.**

 **CA: Truly, it warms the heart.**

 **TA: if you aren't gonna get to the point you can go ahead and fuck off**

 **TA: i got shit to do**

 **TA: you and your books and shit aint got nothing on this guy**

 **CA: Ah, of course. How could I ever forget? Are you referring to your illustrious career crafting smutty puppets or your admittedly astounding career as a DJ?**

 **TA: they're smuppets you uncultured bitch**

 **CA: My mistake.**

 **CA: Unfortunately, there are things that need to be discussed. Very important things.**

 **CA: Is this a good time?**

 **TA: shit you serious?**

 **TA: fuck**

 **TA: this is as good a time as any**

 **TA: dane and dave just left for the movies so i'm all yours**

 **CA: Did they leave in shitty matching headgear?**

 **TA: you bet your ass they did**

 **TA: so what's up sis**

 **CA: Well, I received a call from a social worker today. It turns out that another relative of mother's bore two children with our paternal genetic donor.**

 **TA: shit man**

 **TA: i have no idea why the hell anyone would want to disgrace their genitals with contact with that asshole**

 **TA: so she wants to give the kids up?**

 **CA: She did give them up.**

 **CA: Roughly fourteen years ago.**

 **CA: Just after they were born.**

 **CA: The Lalonde tradition for twins continues.**

 **TA: what the fuck**

 **TA: lalonde are you serious**

 **CA: Tomorrow, I will be meeting with the social worker in question to discuss custody. Ruth has cut her trip short to return home as soon as possible.**

 **CA: Though the situation is rather terrible, she seems excited to meet the new sibs.**

 **CA: Derek? Are you still there?**

 **CA: Have you finally drowned in plush puppet rump, I will carve it on your tombstone myself.**

 **TA: not yet but i appreciate the declaration**

 **TA: and they're called smuppets**

 **TA: but yeah i went to get myself a beer**

 **TA: this is heavy shit**

 **CA: One of them is named Roxy Lalonde. I have been informed she was removed from the home due to abuse but I have not been informed to what extent she may have suffered.**

 **CA: She will be seeing the family therapist anyway. It is vital to cultivate healthy coping mechanisms at a young age.**

 **TA: yeah because that definitely worked for rose**

 **TA: do we know where the family lived?**

 **CA: There will be no retaliation unless Roxy herself asks for it.**

 **TA: and then justice will be swift and well deserved**

 **CA: Naturally.**

 **TA: the other kid is a boy right?**

 **TA: can't upset the delicate strider-lalonde balance**

 **CA: His name is Dirk.**

 **TA: a good name**

 **CA: Reportedly, he was placed with a family when he was eight. The next morning his foster parents were gone and never returned. He continued living there until Roxy's situation was discovered and she refused to leave him behind.**

 **TA: that's a real shitty joke Lalonde**

 **CA: I can assure you that no one is laughing.**

 **TA: what kind of incompetent fucks leave a kid on his own for fucking years?**

 **CA: The social worker that initially handled the case is dead and has been for two years. There isn't likely to be a satisfactory answer.**

 **CA: Roxy was placed in the same area and the two became friends. I am unsure whether anyone has explained the family tree to them yet.**

 **TA: you said you're going to pick them up tomorrow?**

 **CA: I will do everything in my power to.**

 **CA: For this, I am not above using my influence.**

 **TA: damn right**

 **TA: okay so which one of us should come up?**

 **CA: I can assure you I'm more than adequate for the job.**

 **TA: no one on god's fucked earth will fight you on that**

 **TA: point is we're getting another brother**

 **TA: and he deserves to not be surrounded by lalondes**

 **CA: As always, I am flattered by your regard.**

 **CA: How soon can you travel to Pennsylvania?**

 **TA: pennsylvania?**

 **CA: That's where they are.**

 **TA: according to the internet we can be there in roughly four hours**

 **TA: so just give me a rough time you'll be in Pennsylvania tomorrow**

 **TA: and you can pick one of us up on your way there**

 **CA: I will message you the pertinent details later.**

 **TA: still doesn't answer the question of which of us you want up there**

 **TA: dane is taking a break and i'm unattached**

 **TA: we can't send Dave up**

 **CA: Please excuse my incoming bout of familial affection.**

 **TA: woah what the fuck**

 **TA: i didn't sign up for this**

 **CA: It would comfort me if you were the one beside me when I meet Dirk and Roxy. Dane is my brother but you are my twin.**

 **TA: why do we have to bring feelings into this**

 **TA: i'm a good person why is this happening**

 **CA: The bond between twins should not be taken lightly.**

 **TA: shiiiiiiiiit**

 **TA: i'm getting a ticket**

 **TA: i'll be there**

 **TA: how do you do this**

 **CA: Striders are notoriously weak when confronted with honest emotion. It's a known fact.**

 **TA: fuck you**

 **TA: no we're not**

 **CA: If we are employing our collective influence to smooth this out, Dane is a better choice. We must think of advantage rather than emotions.**

 **TA: fuck you**

 **TA: dane will meet you tomorrow morning and me and dave will fly out after school**

 **TA: good old weekend family reunion**

 **TA: ready the good towels**

 **CA: That's hardly necessary.**

 **TA: if you get to meet the new lalonde then we get to meet the new strider**

 **CA: It would be nice to introduce them to everyone. This may sound strange but I'm excited to welcome them into our family.**

 **TA: i'll let you know how i feel later**

 **TA: we'll see if the kid can hold his own**

 **TA: earn his place in the kickass strider family**

 **CA: The social worker suggested that Dirk scavenged to get by but one must wonder what else he had to do to survive.**

 **CA: I think the manly Striders can afford to be kind this one time.**

 **CA: Derek?**

 **CA: Have you died in puppet ass yet?**

 **TA: they're fucking smuppets**

 **TA: i went for another couple of beers**

 **TA: i need them**

 **CA: I feel similarly.**

 **\- cerebralAbstraction [CA] ceased pestering terminalAggressor [TA] at 21: 36 -**


	3. Chapter 3

Her name is Roxy Lalonde and she's fucking pissed. After what was arguably one of the worst and best days of her life, she stupidly believed things would start to get better. She'd thought she convinced Ms. Pentri that Roxy Lalonde would never go anywhere without Dirk Strider. She thought the social worker understood.

Something got lost in translation from Roxy-speak to social worker speak because Dirk went to one home and Roxy went to another.

Ms. James opened her home to Roxy. She gave Roxy her own room. It was on short notice so the sheets hadn't been changed in a while, but the woman pointed out the linen closet on her brief tour of the house. Roxy didn't think she was that old but, she had a grandmotherly air that under normal situations Roxy would find endearing.

However, these were not normal circumstances by any means. These were Ms. Pentri-made-a-damn-liar-out-of-Roxy-Lalonde-circumstances and Roxy had _no idea_ where she took Dirk.

During the tour of the house, Roxy didn't see any computers or even a television. When asked about it, Ms. James laughed a bit and said she didn't need any of that. She got her news from newspapers and magazines and her entertainment from hobbies.

Which was kind of cool, Roxy supposed. But it wasn't her style. She was the _best_ hacker and to do that she needed hardware.

So Roxy couldn't try and pester Dirk. Not that she knew if Dirk could even pester her back.

UGH. This situation was just TOO much.

What Roxy needed was a damn drink. She lifted herself off the freshly made bed and eased open her door. She poked her head out and peered up and down the hall. Ms. James sequestered herself in the kitchen to prepare dinner (made completely from scratch! What a thought…) but Roxy was _always_ cautious.

The tour had given Roxy a working map of the premise and she could say with certainty that there was no alcohol to be found in any of the common areas. Her room was, understandably, also bereft of Roxy's poison of choice.

Which only left Ms. James's bedroom unexplored.

Roxy crept silently from the room she'd been given to the only other closed door upstairs. She pulled the bedroom door open, still moving absolutely silently because fuck whatever a certain asshole Strider liked to claim, Roxy was the _best_ ninja.

Roxy entered the room and eased the door shut behind her. It wouldn't do much if Ms. James came to check on her, but it gave her a little peace of mind. Without further ado, she began her search.

Aaaand was promptly disappointed. What kind of adult didn't keep even a single bottle of alcohol in their home?

Her previous foster family kept bottles in the kitchen where it was easy to swipe. They only sometimes realized anything was missing and most of the time her foster mom blamed her foster dad and vice versa.

Roxy had to fight down the urge to curse and stomp her feet like a child.

Still, the excursion just reinforced Roxy's initial conclusion. Ms. James was an absolute gem.

There was a bible on her nightstand and a haphazard pile of gardening books underneath. A picture of her and another woman sat beside the stack. The closet was full of clothes that Roxy would describe as grandma-chic. The pictures on the wall were a mix of landscapes and flowers.

Roxy concluded that Ms. James was a typical old person that was somehow stuck in the body of a 30-something year old.

She was the kind of grandma you would see on TV shows, giving ungrateful grandchildren all the love and support they could ever need…

Oh geez. That made Roxy the ungrateful grandchild didn't it?

Uncomfortable with the revelation and feeling guilty, Roxy absconded. She scurried back to her temporary room and shut the door behind her, just as silent as before. She stood there awkwardly, looking around the room.

It just looked empty. Maybe it was always used as a temporary solution?

…Whatever it was, Roxy hoped she would be leaving soon. She hoped that the terrible Ms. Pentri would see the error of her ways and reunite Roxy with Dirk. She hoped that wherever he ended up, Dirk was doing okay. She hoped he wasn't overwhelmed.

The thought of Dirk being forced into a loud, unfriendly home like her last one was horrifying. He'd be uncomfortable and nervous and probably scared out of his mind, even if he'd never actually admit it.

A sob rose up in her throat, choking her. Roxy, acting every bit the emotional teenager she was, threw herself on the bed and shoved her face in the pillows.

She tried being quiet but something must have tipped her temporary foster mom off. Before long, her bedroom door creaked open.

"Roxy?" she called. Moments later the bed dipped and then there was a hand rubbing her back. It felt nice, but she was in no mood for comforting. She cried harder and tried not to choke on the pillow. "Oh, honey."

"I'm sorry," Roxy forced out between heaving sobs. Ms. James pulled her away from the pillows and into a hug. She rocked the distraught teenager slowly. "I-I didn't mean to…"

"Don't," the woman cooed, stroking Roxy's hair. "Oh, honey. No one expects you to be okay after everything you've been through."

"I don't care about that!" she cried, conveniently forgetting that she did care very much. She was never really comfortable unless she was hanging out with Dirk in his empty house. "I just- I really…"

"It's okay," Ms. James hushed and _wow,_ maybe there was something to the whole hair petting thing. Roxy felt a bit better even if she was still terrified by what the future would bring.

"I just want to see my friend," Roxy explained to her shoulder in a wavering voice. "We're supposed to stick together."

His name is Dirk Strider and he is also upset though you'd never know it by looking at him. He prided himself on being a calm, rational, no-nonsense guy that would never be seen showing actual emotion.

Ms. Pentri left him with his temporary family roughly an hour ago. He'd extracted a sworn oath that Roxy was in a good home from the social worker before she left. He had no reason to worry and so he wasn't. Worried, that is.

And if anyone said otherwise, fuck them.

Dirk was told by his temporary foster parents that so long as he stayed quiet and did as they said, they would all get out of this situation no worse for wear. The couple had a biological son of their own that they seemed to dote on. It became quickly apparent that they didn't take in strays for purely altruistic reasons. Dirk figured they just wanted the money that came with taking in an unwanted kid.

He wasn't offended or surprised by the thought. His entire worldview was built upon the premise that most humans were self-interested assholes. Dirk was no different.

The son's presence meant that Dirk couldn't access the family computer, which irritated Dirk to no end. He had shit to do. Important, internet things. Porn to draw for profit, people to pester… His life was mostly digital and if he had to stay here for anything longer than a few days, he'd run away.

Dirk hid in the room barely big enough to fit a bed and listened for any indication that the kid moved away from the computer. The second it was undefended, it would be _his_. Dirk figured that the mom, Melissa, would make the kid sit at the table for dinner and that would be his moment to strike.

Somehow, he was also forced to sit at the table for dinner.

The kid was sent to retrieve him from his room and the dad, George, barked out an order to set the table. Dirk let the man's actual child do that bit of work. Dirk never set a table in his life.

Dinner wasn't bad. It was lasagna, clearly frozen and reheated. There was more than enough to go around. It was a pity that Dirk's stomach didn't understand that there was nothing wrong. His appetite was dampened by the knots it twisted itself in. He tried to will the feeling away, but as always his body just responded with a big "fuck you" and his stupid brain chimed in with an errant thought about Roxy.

Dirk wondered if braining oneself on the dinner table was a social faux pas or not. He was a socially stunted guy, but he was pretty sure it might ruin family time.

Not that he really cared if he ruined dinner for his foster family but he needed to stay on Ms. Pentri's good side and self-harming at the dinner table probably wouldn't fly with her. He was at her mercy and only she could reunite him with his best friend.

The kid was up and back at the computer as soon as physically possible. Though Dirk was faster and could definitely win in a race, he didn't try to beat him there. George told him to stay seated.

Melissa cleared the table while Dirk and George lingered. When they were alone in the dining room (that was more of a dining alcove), George leaned back in his chair. Dirk's eyes darted around the room, taking in as many small details as he could as an excuse to not look at the man across front of him.

Dirk wasn't nervous.

He was scouting tactical advantages.

"Look, Dirk," George began. "We love opening our home to those in need. Now, you seem like you aren't suited to the family life we live here. That's okay. Your case worker said this was a temporary situation anyway."

Dirk's orange gaze settled on the table. He figured a response wasn't needed and he was right.

"But for now, we're going to treat you like family," he continued. "And everyone in this family pulls their weight. We'll give you daily chores. Small things, you understand, like doing the dishes or the laundry. Sometimes we might ask you to watch Nathan."

Dirk stayed quiet. It was probably no use informing George of his inability to not fuck up even the simplest of chores. All the YouTube tutorials in the world couldn't prevent him from dying most of his clothes very faintly pink (Roxy had been the one to suggest pulling up tutorials. Dirk claimed he didn't care. Pink was ironic.).

"You don't have to do anything tonight," George finished. "We'll let you settle in a bit. We're trusting you with some responsibility. We trust that you can behave yourself. Do you think you can do that for us?"

Dirk nodded slowly and received a self-satisfied smile in return. Sensing the conversation was over, he slunk away before anything else could be demanded of him. With no other option (except, of course, running away), Dirk returned to his room and gave up on the idea of using the computer. Roxy probably wouldn't be too alarmed if she didn't hear from him that night.

He laid down over the covers and shut his eyes. He hoped this entire situation would be resolved soon. He had no idea how to function in a family unit and didn't care to learn. He'd rather be on his own.


End file.
